Howard board temporarily suspends licenses at two liquor stores

Two Howard County liquor stores will have their licenses temporarily suspended after failing a police test last winter, the county's police department said Friday.

The Alcoholic Beverage Hearing Board, composed of five citizens appointed from each County Council district, has suspended licenses for St. John's Liquors, at 9150 Baltimore National Pike in Ellicott City, and Lark Brown Liquors, located at 6590-B Old Waterloo Road in Elkridge.

Both stores had previous liquor license infractions, according to police spokeswoman Mary Phelan. St. John's was also cited because its resident licensee, who is required to live in the county, had moved to Colorado.

St. John's Liquors will have its license suspended for three consecutive weekends: May 9-12, May 16-19 and May 23-26. The liquor store was also fined $2,200.

Lark Brown Liquors will have its liquor license suspended for three consecutive weekends, as well: May 16-19, May 23-26 and May 30-June 2. The store was fined $2,500.

Three other businesses were cited and fined for selling alcohol to underage customers during the November police test, in which a 19-year-old male police cadet entered the liquor stores and bought alcohol. At each of the cited stores, the cashier did not ask for an ID.

The cited stores are:

Vinoland Liquors, also called The Twisted Cork, located at 6524 Old Waterloo Rd. in Elkridge ($700 fine)

Village Liquors, located at 12210 Clarksville Pike in Clarksville ($500)